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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29922363">Ethics of Honesty 101</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/completetheory/pseuds/completetheory'>completetheory</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime, Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alien Culture, Canon-Crossover technically, Crossover, Gen, Mild Language, Post canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Queer Friendly, Trans Female Character, trans nonbinary character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:13:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,083</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29922363</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/completetheory/pseuds/completetheory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Academy Recruits, now in their third year of training, have a new Professor who specializes in Earth disguise... and also happens to be a Decepticon.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ethics of Honesty 101</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadScientific/gifts">MadScientific</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Rescue Recruits didn't spend much of their third year studies in a classroom. They had moved beyond the theoretical (and the occasional sim), into the realm of technical drills only, and responding to real emergencies, albeit with the shadow of their mentors often over them, ensuring they didn't choke at critical moments.</p>
<p>Their disappointment at being called to the classroom was mitigated somewhat by the tone of Blades' voice. A <i>new Professor.</i> </p>
<p>"That is certainly impish delight." Medix reported, recognizing the way Blades spoke. The medical bot was on the autistic spectrum, but with enough time and exposure to individuals, could  form impressions of their behavior based on pattern recognition. This had come as a relief, because Medix had become fast friends with the rest of the team and strongly desired that inclusion. </p>
<p>The Cybertronian 'new Professor' was cherry-red, bipedal and - from appearances, which could be deceiving - looked to be a mono-alt automobile. They sported illegal window tint mounted on their arms, above gorgeous looking door stencils. Racing, speed, and coolness dripped from their frame in a way none of the other professors had prepared the students.</p>
<p>"Good afternoon. I'm Dr. Knock Out, sie/hir, and I'll be your instructor. If you'll all introduce yourselves..."</p>
<p>"Wedge." Rather than being overawed, Wedge was bold, and friendly, "So we should call you Seer, like Blades." </p>
<p>Blades had been a good introduction to nonbinary bots, shortly before Medix had requested 'they/them' for themself, and 'Seer' was a useful form of respect that translated curiously out of the Cybertronian language and into English. </p>
<p>"Mmm. 'Doctor' is also fine. Or just Knock Out. But no nicknames, please." The balance of laying-down-the-law was crucial with twentysomething analogue Cybertronians. Too much, and they'd immediately form impressions of hir as a hardass. Too little, with the 'cool professor' vibe, and they'd take liberties immediately.</p>
<p>"Nice to meet you, Doctor! I'm Whirl. This is Medix, Hot Shot, and Hoist!" </p>
<p>The coptor-bot, registered as their law enforcement agent, was bubbly as all get-out. Knock Out squinted. Typical Autobot naming schemes. They valued service and identification of tasks  or alt form over a chosen identity. Still, being in a position of influence over these students was far better than playing nice with the Autobots as a prisoner of war had been. </p>
<p>The rollcall sheet also included each Recruit's personal pronoun, alt type (which Knock Out considered, dispassionately, quite a breach of privacy), and specialist role in the group. Wedge was the leader, Medix was, naturally, the team's paramedic - <i>not</i> EMT, interestingly. Hot Shot was the firefighter, and Hoist was the team's engineer. </p>
<p>Knock Out stood at the podium, scrolling through the list, marking everyone as present as they settled down. No assigned seats, but the group was well-behaved enough that they couldn't be <i>too</i>-too far into completion of their training. Rescue Bot crews that were long out of their academies could be rowdy, in Knock Out's experience. It came from their offbeat job description, how most of them were outsiders in Cybertronian society to begin with. The Decepticon CMO could relate. Sie had taken this offer while on Cybertron, solely for the opportunity to return to Earth, and suspected they had agreed partly to get rid of hir, and partly because they lacked Earth 'experts' in a big way.</p>
<p>Skimming over the lesson plan, Knock Out got a better idea of why. It was 'advanced disguise techniques', but very little of what was written would be difficult. Hologram drivers and how rain/sleet/fog would affect, or impair them. Speed limits (merely a suggestion!). How to reconfigure internal circuitry to hide under the engine compartment of an ordinary car when one's disguise was more intently scrutinized. Making sure the vehicle was something that actually existed, or could actually exist, in the region. Not driving expensive supercars through small towns. How to avoid attracting attention, generally. </p>
<p>Knock Out grinned. Some of that could probably have been taught to Team Prime. </p>
<p>As if summoned by those thoughts, a shadow fell across the doorway, and Dr. Knock Out lifted hir eyes to see... him.</p>
<p>Optimus Prime. He stood there like a welded monument, as if he had always been there, projecting cold authority that fools took to be arrogance, and the wise knew was a horrific, undisturbed certainty in his own correctness at all times that no external appeal could reach. </p>
<p>Just looking at him gave Knock Out's spark a dizzy spin. Early in the war, sie had fought him, one-on-one, and similar. But those days were long past, and the damage incurred to the soul was a lot harder to buff out over time than the damage to a car body.</p>
<p>"Students." Optimus spoke, in that ponderous way that reminded Knock Out of an ancient megalodon, surging with silent and deadly purpose just under the surface. "I am here to check on you. To remind you that you will encounter challenging situations going forward, and you must never cast judgment on those who may have had less fortunate lives, and made bad decisions as a result of those experiences. But if you make the best choices yourselves, you will always find the strength to do what is right, and succeed at whatever challenges lay before you." </p>
<p>Knock Out was as speechless as if sie'd received a bolt to hir voicebox. Hir mouth worked, fighting down a very familiar surge of humiliation and spark-twisting fear at that speech, with its subtle knives toward those who 'didn't find the strength to do what was right', hiding underneath empty promotional material. The students were chipper, seemed receptive and open in Optimus' presence - Knock Out had learned to read a room back when Megatron bore down on his subordinates like an apex predator trying to cull the 'weak', and had found too late that most people pushed to the brink focused on survival.</p>
<p>Sie missed Starscream, though. Multiple times, the "treacherous" Commander had tried to forge an alliance with hir, only to have Megatron intentionally pit his underlings against one another, to stop them unifying against his tyranny and overthrowing his command. Too late, always too late, Knock Out read the writing on the wall. But sie hadn't been alone, and after a bit of time in Optimus' presence, the Decepticon Doctor realized why Optimus and Megatron had been such firm friends. </p>
<p>The old Cybertronian saying. Parallel codes ran together.</p>
<p>Interestingly, Wedge looked uncomfortable. Knock Out blanked on what to say in hir own defense, but the customer service personality took over and sie mumbled some agreeable platitude which seemed to please Optimus while it also increased hir own humiliation. 'Stand up for yourself' was not a maxim that weathered well in wartime. </p>
<p>After Optimus left, Knock Out tried to shake the sudden weakness in hir limbs, clearing hir ventilation with an almost sub-audible rev of hir engine. Sie tasted metal and coolant.</p>
<p>"All right." And the words felt like they were coming from very far away, until suddenly rage threw them into sharp relief, whetted down the fear into a weapon sie could use. "Who here knows what flimflam means?" </p>
<p>Confused looks from most of the recruits - human slang might not be their forte, but Knock Out loved it. </p>
<p>The turquoise one's hand shot up after a moment's delay, as if even Hoist wasn't used to being the only one to know an answer. "Uh, it's lying, isn't it, Seer?" </p>
<p>"That's one meaning. It's also a confidence trick. Swindling. Cheating." </p>
<p>Hot Shot shared a look with Whirl, then volunteered, "Our lesson's supposed to be about disguises, right? And we have to pretend not to be aliens, for human safety." </p>
<p>It was rote, memorized, impressed without leaving an impression. A rule. It is X because of Y, and Y is because of X. The kind of 'learning' that didn't teach. </p>
<p>Knock Out grinned. "Lying for a good reason is another discussion entirely. I'm sure Medix can tell you all about the ethics of medical deception; telling a patient there's nothing to worry about, when you can't possibly know that's true. Sometimes 'the truth' is a terrible bedside manner that can only do harm. Other times, it helps to know what you're up against. That kind of lie is a case by case basis, but this is a selfish sort of deception." </p>
<p>The word 'deception' twice sent a ripple of interest and tension through the room - most notably in Wedge, but generally, it charged the atmosphere. It was similar to another word they had encountered, perhaps... </p>
<p>"Flimflam involves persuasion." Knock Out continued, "Baffling with bullshit - that's another word humans like, but it's not something you should use around their larvae, I suppose. Usually on Earth, a conman wants your money. Sometimes they want something else. Power over you, your trust. And the more social capital they have, the more other people seem to trust them, the easier it is to get it. Are you with me so far?"</p>
<p>"Why bother?" Hot Shot again. This one was a midtier caste, high enough not to realize how bad the situation was on Cybertron, maybe, but not so high that he wasn't in serious danger. He just didn't understand that danger. An entertainer; sports, like bread and circuses on Earth, were one way of distracting ordinary people from feeling enough constant discomfort that they revolted against the cause of it. Why bother, though. How to explain? </p>
<p>"You mean if they already have social capital." Knock Out asked, and Hot Shot nodded, satisfied that the question was a good one. "You're a Cube player, I suppose?" </p>
<p>Hot Shot grinned with such immediate enthusiasm that it lit his entire face and damn near lit his headlights. Wow. Cube was a gentrified form of lobbing, the old game developed by the Wreckers with whatever scrap metal they could crush into a ball - the cubes used in the highbrow version were programmed, almost sentient in their own right. It took a lot of knowledge and athletic ability to play Cube, but very little teamwork and almost no compassion. </p>
<p>It was perfect for Knock Out's explanation.</p>
<p>"You might be the MVP in a Cube match, but each team has people constant vying for that top spot. If the second best can't beat you, but they can convince the third and fourth best that they benefit from your injury on the field, or you losing a very easy C&amp;R play, humiliating you in front of the event organizers... the second best will take your post. Some people are extremely greedy, and they think everyone is like them. They screw you before you can screw them, even if you had no intention of doing it."</p>
<p><i>They think everyone is like them</i> adequately covered Megatron and Optimus both. Ruthless warlords had no friends, no real allies save of convenience. Wars were not won and lost through kindness - not the sort of wars the Autobot and Decepticon generals had waged. Knock Out was completely out of hir depth back then, with very little military discipline or knowledge, and those who didn't wise up quickly to the atmosphere were victims of it.</p>
<p>"We play it differently now." Hot Shot wasn't disagreeing, though. The cogs were turning. "Teamwork sometimes gives you a better edge than every secondary supporting the primary. Earth rules, not Cybertronian." </p>
<p>Rules developed <i>on Earth</i>, Knock Out supposed, but not by humans. Just by the lack of Cybertronian oversight and domineering that demanded the strong eat the weak. Megatron, after all, had not developed the gladiatorial rings himself. He'd only been weaponized by the conditions that the Autobot leaders and the Council had created and accepted.</p>
<p>"That's good." Knock Out said absently, looking back at Wedge, who had interested hir a few times already without saying much. Wedge looked embarrassed to be the subject of scrutiny, but didn't protest. She reminded Knock Out of hir old partner, Breakdown, back before the war. A construction-based grunt who wanted more for themself, who deserved more. Who deserved a world based on merit, like the Decepticons had promised, early on. </p>
<p>Breakdown was still remembered, still loved. Sorely missed.</p>
<p>"Fortunately it's not difficult to catch a con, as long as you keep aware of motives." Knock Out suspected it was far too early to start casting doubt on Optimus' motives. Or whoever had set the Academy up this way, far from home and filled with... <i>unusual</i> and awkward Cybertronians who might raise questions on the homeworld about Mul-T-Cogs and the veracity of alt-assignment rather than choice. </p>
<p>The copter looked troubled. "But are you saying you can't trust anyone? Doesn't everyone have <i>some</i> motive to look out for themself?" </p>
<p>"Oh, it's not that bad. Most people are a little giving; society wouldn't work at all if people weren't willing to sacrifice some time or comfort or effort for their group. Cybertronians, like humans, are a social species. But also like humans, some of us are purely selfish, and it only takes a few of them at the top to ruin the whole project below." </p>
<p>"Seer," Wedge lifted a hand, uncertainly, "Is there a specific type of Cybertronian you're talking about? Or a specific person?" </p>
<p>There were a handful of specific persons. Absolutely. But Knock Out couldn't go up against Optimus <i>or</i> the Council without losing the sea of earnest, worried faces. Sie shrugged, played it with a lightness that was heartfelt. "Not Decepticons, if that's what you mean." </p>
<p>A short, murmured conversation between the recruits, and Knock Out let them talk amongst themselves, picking out the odd word, putting together that there were, or had been, a few Decepticons at the Academy.</p>
<p>Wedge spoke up again. "Laserbeak used to be a Decepticon, until Optimus changed his affiliation. And, I was one too, before he helped me get into the Academy."</p>
<p>Oh, the hits just kept on coming. There was barely time for Knock Out's blood to boil at the confused but earnest way Wedge talked about Laserbeak's 'affiliation being changed' by Optimus - of all the sincere nerve! - and then talking about how <i>Wedge</i> had been 'helped' into a position that was solely about helping others, that no truly wicked person could ever reform themself into, and trying to figure out how to put across that the Decepticons were by no means awful people, that losing a war was the only crime, as a group, that they'd committed differently from the Autobots during the damn thing, and certainly during the post-war crisis... </p>
<p>Then there was Megatron. Plague unleashing, unapologetically torturing Megatron. Oh, but Optimus had given him a clean slate. Let him fly away totally unimpeded. Knock Out had <i>been there</i>, watching in disbelief, engine still warm from the <i>Nemesis</i> brig, thinking of every dead Vehicon between those two, thinking of Starscream. </p>
<p>Thinking, oddly, of how Ratchet, and the Magnus, both incredibly inconvenient to Optimus' decision-making for different reasons, had <b>not</b> witnessed that exchange between the Prime and Megatron. </p>
<p>"Great." Knock Out said, instead of everything sie thought, "I'm still a Decepticon." </p>
<p>So was Starscream. And Optimus could take that honor from her cooling corpse - Knock Out was sure he'd prefer it that way, anyway. </p>
<p>"Wow, really?" Hot Shot asked, "Wait, are you saying we shouldn't trust <i>Autobots?</i>" </p>
<p>Knock Out laughed, a momentary bark of surprise that slipped composure's mien, "I'm saying you shouldn't trust someone who's so sure of the truth that they'd change someone else's affiliation without letting them decide that was best." </p>
<p>Fortunately, it didn't look like that comment did Wedge any harm, which was good. After that revelation, Knock Out wanted more than ever to potentially win the skiploader back over to the Decepticon fold. </p>
<p>Hot Shot's hand was waving, and Knock Out raised hir eyebrows welcomingly. "Seer. What makes Decepticons and Autobots different?" </p>
<p>"Very good question!" Knock Out leaned against the podium comfortably, "I'm inclined to say 'not much'. Ideology, obviously. But you get variations within any social group, and it may surprise you to find only a few of Megatron's generals actually liked him. Usually the less they had to do with him personally, the more they liked him. Overall, though, the Decepticon movement began when the lowest castes realized they could reformat their society so they didn't have to exist solely to work. Minicons, animalcons, vehicons, insecticons - and the coup de grâce, Decepticons. You know the suffix 'con' was applied to whatever group the Council didn't want mid-caste people feeling too empathetic toward."</p>
<p>Knock Out paused, but the group was surprisingly attentive. So sie continued, "The Autobots are fine as an idea. Let's have gradual, democratic change. Only that's obviously not what would have ended up happening, and we all know it, based on the Council being so friendly with Optimus. Nobody is going to nicely decide to stop treating a group badly because they asked. That's never happened, and it never will. All the Council wanted was for Decepticon rioting to be suppressed and for the Decepticon movement to dissolve quietly after some of its biggest spokespeople were thrown into stasis cells. Violence was the last refuge of the unheard and desperate, but it didn't need to go that far. The Council could have stepped down - Optimus could have won the Autobots over to <i>make</i> them step down. Remember that." </p>
<p>Another small murmuring with the gathering. Medix asked, "No offense intended, Professor Knock Out, but who is willing to discuss this history and analyze it for bias?" </p>
<p>"Oh of course I'm biased." Knock Out drummed long, thin, scalpel-like fingers against the podium. "Everybody is biased to some degree, you won't find any war veteran who was completely objective. You need to consider the context, the source... what people want you to believe, and talk to as many of us as you can. People who were there, before the war, people who were there during it." </p>
<p>Knock Out's eye went to the door, cognizant of motion outside. Loudly, sie said, "And that concludes our first text-based lesson on disguise. We will be doing a field based lesson via groundbridge at 1300 hours; report to the groundbridge room then." </p>
<p>As the class filed out, eager for a field trip but mostly talking amongst themselves about 'vehicons' and 'insecticons' - strange words they had not heard before, Blades waited patiently outside. Knock Out grinned as Blades wandered in, vastly more comfortable with the offbeat copter's presence than with Optimus's. </p>
<p>"So how was your first lesson?" Blades asked, delighted. </p>
<p>"They're a pretty obedient bunch." Knock Out murmured, "I'll soon fix that."</p>
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